Coin and slug separating device



y 23, 1939. w. A; TRATSCH El AL 2,159,117

COIN AND SLUG SEPARATING DEVICE Opiginal Filed June 18, 1936 Walter A;Tra isc/z/ Wallzam/ Patzer INVENTORS THE/B ATTORN Patented May 23, 1939PATENT OFFICE com AND sLUG SEPARATING DEVICE Walter A. Tratach andWilliam Patzer,

Chicago, 111.

Original application June 18, 1936, Serial No.

85,879. Divided and this application June 10, 1938, Serial No. 212,891

3Claims.

This invention pertains to coin and slug separating devices and moreparticularly to a coin testing means, commonly referred to as a coinchute, which includes an improved rebound means from which certain coinelements are adapted to rebound or bounce for movement past an exitopening or the like. 7

Viewed from another aspect, it is an important object of the inventionto-provide a coin chute 10 having a descending coin passage with adropout opening between its ends and an improved rebound means in thepath of a coin descending the passage and from which certain proper cointhe drop-out opening so that they may reach the end of the passage,spurious and improper coin elements moving into the drop-out openingbecause the material of which they are made is such that they do nothave sumcient kinetic energy at the time they strike the rebound meansto carry them past the drop-out opening, or such that much of theirenergy is' lost in the impact with the rebound means, and hence notavailable to carry these coin elements safely past the dropout.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means providing adescending coin passage having an entrance and an exit end and asidewisedrop-out opening between said ends and into which certain spurious orimproper coin elements are caused to move as a result of gravitatingimpact with a rebound anvil positioned in advance of the drop-outopening.

Another and more specific object is the provision in a coin chute ofimproved rebound means in the form of an anvil mounted in the path ofdescending coin elements and having an elongated downwardly tiltedcontact surface of 'wedgelike cross section .with a ridge portion for 40the wedge part of less width than the edge of the coin, such that coinelements formed of a material of less than predetermined hardness andrelated physical characteristics will, when deposited in the chute,strike edgewlse against the wedgelike rebound surface of the anvil andbe temporarily or permanently dented or deformed as a result of theimpact, so that the coin element will thereby give up energy otherwisenecessary 50 to carry it safely past the drop-out opening.

Other novel aspects of the invention reside in certain details ofconstruction and operation of the illustrative embodiment hereinafterdescribed in view of the drawing, in which: 5 Fig. 1 is a side elevationof the chute with a elements may rebound to carry them safely past.

portion broken away to expose the drop-out openmg;

Fig. 2 is a vertical median section through the chute exposing the chutepassage;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational detail of the 5 movable magnetcarrier and deflecting means on the side of the chute opposite to thatviewed in Fig. 1; while Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective fragment of Aa portion of the chute passage including the drop- 19 out opening andthe novel rebound means.

The present application is a divisionof our copending U. S. application,Serial No. 85,879, filed June 18, 1936, for improvements in a coin andslug separating device.

A preferred embodiment of the invention includes means providing adescending coin passage, preferably in the form of a body l0 (Fig. 2) ofelongated and substantially fiat shape and constructed, according to onemethod, by securing 0 together a pair of complementary cast platesrecessed to define the tortuous and descending passage H, the passagehaving two entrance openings l2 and I3 at its upper end and a rejectopening I! and acceptance opening 15 at its lower ll end, the latter twolower openings being spaced on opposite sides of an adjustabledeflecting means 16.

Between the upper and lower terminal ends of the passage l I, there isprovided a sidewise dropout opening ll (Fig. 1) arranged opposite adepression I8 (Fig. 2) in the floor of the chute passage and in the pathof a coin moving down the latter. The depression 18, it may be pointedout, is disposed in an oppositely inclined section II 35 of the passagejust below the juncture point 19 of the latter with the upper sectionand hence so positioned that it is possible for a coin element to dropin a vertical line into the depression it from the upper reaches of thechute.

Improved rebound means in the form of a metallic anvil 24 is provided inthe chute passage (Figs. 2 and 4) at a point above or in advance of thedrop-out opening 11 and the dea pression 18, the arrangement being suchthat proper coin elements; that is, metallic coin elements ofpredetermined metallic content and weight, properly deposited in eitherof the entrance openings I! or 13, will roll oh the juncture point IS inthe passage as illustrated by the dotted line trajectory A in Fig. 2 andstrike the anvil with sufficient force so that they will reboundsubstantially along the normal trajectory B and thus be carried safelypast the drop-out opening I! and depressed floor part It forcontinued-passage through to the end exits l4 and II.

The form and operation of the anvil means 24 constitutes one of theimportant features of,the invention and, as illustrated in Fig. 4, onepreferred embodiment thereof includes a relatively fiat or narrow blockof metal. for example steel, of a thickness adapted to fit into the coinpassage so that its sides are substantially flush with the sides of thepassage. the block thus lying within the plane of the chute body andcoin passage and being positioned (Fig. 2) in the region belowthejuncture point I! of the alternately directed passage sections and Justabove the depression i8.

The anvil or block 24 has an elongated edge 25 which is beveled, sloped,or tapered, as at 2!, to providea relatively narrow and elongatedrebound edge or ridge 21 pitched in a generally descending directiontoward the depression II and the adjoining lower passage section orfloor 28.

The elongated rebound ridge or edge portion 21 is narrower at its topthan at its base adjoining the body of the block, and the width of thisrebound edge 21 is preferably made less than the thickness of the edgeportion of certain coin elements which the coin chute or testing deviceis adapted and intended to receive, the purpose of this being to providea rebound edge of wedgelike form such that spurious and illegitimatecoin elements formed of a material which is softer than the metalliccontent of said certain or proper coin elements will be dented orelastically deformed by the ridge formation when such coins drop ontothe anvil, such coin elements thereby giving up energy which wouldotherwise assist in carrying them past the depression l8 and othertesting or selecting means positioned between the ends of the chutepessage, such for example as the finger or gate 30 (Fig. 4) pivoted asat 3| and normally disposed by gravity in blocking position across thepassage just beneath the juncture point it and. at the lower side of thedepression ll.

Light-weight coin elements, such as paper discs, do not ordinarily gainsuflicient momentum in leaving the juncture point I9 to cause them tofollow the dotted-line trajectory A but drop'down in the relativelystraight-line path and fall into the depression I8 for movement out thedischarge opening l1. However, certain lightweight tokens, for example,fiber washers and discs, may strike the anvil in such manner as torebound along the dotted-line trajectory D high enough to pass over theselecting means or discharge opening ll-lt were it not for the provisionof the testing means or gate 30, the

latter being so arranged that it will not be pivand i6, coin elements ofpredetermined metal:

lic content having eddy currents set up therein as they move through theflux or field, with a consequent reaction which tends to give such coinelements a predetermined rate of speed as they move finally toward thedeflector II or W and the acceptance opening l5, other. and impropercoin elements being affected by passage through the magnetic field suchthat their travel will carry them into the reject opening l4.

. Another testing means includes an elongated bar magnet 36 (Fig. 3)arranged in a movable carrier 31 pivotally mounted as at 38 for movementtoward and away from the side of the device, the carrier normally lyingclose to the chute with the length of the magnet 38 fitted close toan-elongated slot 38 (Fig. 2) communieating into the passage just abovethe juncture point l9.

A gate 40 is pivotally mounted on the opposite side of the chute body ona pintle 4| extending through lugs 42 on the gate and seated in bosses43 on the chute. This,gate likewise moves toward and away from the chutepassage and constitutes a movable side wall section for the latterwhich, when in open position, constitutes a sidewise discharge openingabove the drop-out opening I]. An elongated opening 44 is provided inthe gate opposite the slot 39, and hence opposite the magnet 3'8, forthe discharge of coin elements of less than a predetermined diameter,there being a small deflecting rib 45 opposite the opening 44 tofacilitate such discharge'movement, and the floor portion of the passageadjacent the opening 44 preferably being inclined outwardly for the samepurpose.

Means including a lever 46 pivotally mounted as at 41 one. vertical edgeportion of the chute and having a pin 48 projecting laterally into aslotted boss 49 on the gate, may be manipulated to efl'ect opening andclosing movement of the gate 40, the latter normally remaining in closedposition by force of gravity assisted by a spring 49'. -A cooperatinglever 50 (Fig. 3) also pivotally mounted as at on the edge' of thechute, and having a lateral pin 52 projecting through a slotted boss 53on the magnet carrier, is arranged for cooperation with the lever 46 sothat the magnet carrier 31 and the gate 40 will be opened and closedsimultaneously, responsive to manipulation of the lever 46.

Yet another testing means includes a U-shaped deflecting member 55mounted as'at 56 (Fig. 1) on the gate 40 and passed reentrantly acrossthe chute passage (Fig. 2) to provide means for deflecting coin elementsaway from the anvil 21 for movement into the depression is when the gate40 is open, the deflecting means 55 otherwise being normally out of thepath of coin elements moving down the passage.

The importance of the rebound anvil 24 resides in the fact that due toits peculiar construction and location in the chute passage, certainspurious coin elements including those made of Linotype metal andanalogous alloys including certain mixtures of lead, tin, antimony, andzinc, all,

metal or hard fiber, are rebounded against the testing or selectingmeans 30, striking the latter with such force and at a point relative toits pivotal mounting 3|, that they are deflected back into thedepression 18 with consequent discharge from the chute.

Where the term dented" is used herein or in the claims in connectionwith the operation of the rebound anvil, it is intended to convey notonly the idea. of actual physical deformation commonly understood bythis term, but also the idea of momentary deformations characterizingthe impact of members, one of which (e. g. the coin) is of a. relativelyelastic, resilient or springy material compared with the other (e. g.the anvil).

Various modifications and changes may be made in the foregoingillustrative arrangement whereby the objects and advantages of theinvention maybe achieved without departing from the spirit and scopethereof, and the appended claims are therefore intended to include allequivalent forms of construction and modes of operation fairly comingwithin their call.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described including a descending coinpassage down which coin elements move edgewise, selective deflectingmeans in the form of a rebound anvil arranged .insaid passage and havingan elongated reboundaedge disposed'in the path of said coin elements andwith its length extending in the direction of the normal plane ofmovement of said elements, said rebound edge being of a width narrowerthan the rim portion of coin elements deposited in said device, andconstituting a ridge-like formation against which said coin elements maystrike edgewise and from which said coin elements will rebound invarious predetermined manners depending upon the physicalcharacteristics thereof, said device including means ar-.

ranged relative to said deflecting means for, separating certain coinsfrom others depending upon the manner inwhich the coins rebound fromsaid anvil.

'2. In a device of the class described including a. descending coinpassage down which coin elements move edgewise, deflecting means in theform of a rebound anvil arranged in said passage and having an elongatededge portion disposed in the path of said coin elements with its lengthextending in the direction of the plane of movement of said coinelements such that the latter may strike said edge at any point alongthe length thereof, said edge being beveled along its length to providea rebound ridge of substantially wedgelike form the width of which isless than the width of the edge portion of coin elements deposited insaid device and constituting an elongated striking portion from whichcertain coin elements will rebound in predetermined ways dependent upontheir physical characteristics, said device including means arrangedrelative to said anvil to selectively separate certain coin elementsfrom others depending upon the way in which said elements rebound fromthe anvil.

3. In a device of the class described including a passage along whichcoins move edgewise, a rebound anvil arranged in said passage and havingan elongated rebound edge narrowed to a width less than the peripheralthickness of certain coin elements of predetermined physical characterwhich are intended to be received and accepted by said device, saidrebound edge being disposed with its length extending in the plane ofmovement of said coins and being pitched so as to alter the movement ofcoin elements striking the same and rebounding therefrom, and meansarranged to function cooperably with said anvil to selectively separatecertain coin elements from others dependent upon the movement of saidelements in rebounding from said anvil.

WALTER A. TRATSCH. VJILLIAM PATZER.

